Rating: Summary: Miss Congeniality Review: This movie is the best Sandra Bullock flick to date. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to get up, find a stylist, loose those inhabitions, ignore your credit card bill, buy that dress you can't afford, and nab yourself a Mr. Bratt!! If you're in the mood for the best movie to ever come out of the 'makeover' genre, you've found it in Miss Congeniality. Now if only I could hire Micheal Caine to transform me, but that's another dream altogether!!!
Rating: Summary: A forgettable, yet entertaining comedy. Review: Sandra Bullock has to be one of the most appealing actresses in Hollywood. Her screen chemistry is amazing, and she takes control of every scene she's in. Miss Congeniality is no exception to this rule, although the movie she's surrounded by just isn't that great. The movie centers around a frumpy F.B.I. agent (Bullock) who must go undercover as a beauty queen (yeah, there's a real stretch) in order to catch a criminal. The plot line is paper thin, which is irrelevant in a movie like this. The audience is there to laugh, not be bogged down in the semantics of the film. Most of the laughs come from the supporting cast of beauty queens, although Bullock has a line here and there that made me chuckle. Michael Caine garners laughs too as Bullock's beauty coach. Bullock does a great job going from clunky to graceful, and Caine does a fine job as well. There aren't any scenes that are particularly memorable, and the jokes are largely forgettable. This is why I'm forced to give this movie 3 stars rather than 4. I really enjoyed the film for what it was; a throw-away comedy.
Rating: Summary: Near-miss America Review: So, another Sandra B vehicle. She's had a puzzling last few years, Hope Floats was quiet (but okay), Practical Magic was not terribly magical (but okay), and then I gave up on her. The trailer for Miss Congeniality dragged me back to the cinema, as the set-up (unfeminine FBI agent goes undercover at Miss America) seemed as if it promised something a tiny bit left-of-centre. And the film? Yes, it's a tiny bit left-of-centre. Sandra's fellow contestants are not (thankfully, and surprisingly) in the least bit air-headed, and men as the centres of the universe are notably absent. So, the film would have a sisters-are-doing-it-for-themselves feel (even the arch-villain is female, rather than Dennis Hopper doing is rent-a-cackle) were it not for the fact that it's a beauty pageant and it's the year 2001. And the film never quite gets round that one. Sandra gets an important speech at the film's conclusions, in which she essentially validates the whole pageant industry, but it's hardly a knockdown argument, relying in our investment in her character (or indeed, the actor) rather than any conclusive logic for its conviction. I mean, it seems to me that Miss America its still about women in swimsuits, at the end of the day, and until someone who looks merely slightly-above-average in a swimsuit actually wins the damn thing it always will be. There are other flaws, too. Michael Caine as camp and bitter is discordant rather than funny, Benjamin Bratt is somewhat plastic here, and the other contestants are rather 1 dimensional. (See, the main dramatic supporting roles are male. Even at Miss America ...) On the other hand, I found it a hard movie to actually dislike. Sandra Bullock would be watchable reading the phone book, and sure enough she's watchable here. A lot of her characterisation is done courtesy of an 'unfeminine' laugh, which I found infectious but to which I imagine large swathes of the population (the male swathe, perhaps) might have a higher immunity. And she gets almost all the best lines, but as she appears to have the best delivery of anyone in the cast, this does not seem inappropriate. The plot itself is essentially irrelevant, beyond the highest-of-high concepts that the trailer explains. I suppose one could play the what-if game - what if the writers had taken their bravery pills and played down the supporting men, shifting the focus more to the contestants and away from the notably all male FBI. What if Benjamin Bratt hadn't had his mind elsewhere? What if the writing had been 50% sharper? But on the other hand, what if it hadn't been Sandra Bullock? Direct to cable, I suspect. So, if you like Sandra Bullock then watch this gentle comedy with medium hopes and you'll be happy.
Rating: Summary: Another classic fromt he gorgeous girl-next-store comedian Review: Sandra executive produces her film projects and even though they have not always generated four-star reviews they do tend to do well with critics at least for her acting ability, and they do make a tidy profit at the box office. For example, HOPE FLOATS made more than the similar themed THE HORSE WHISPERER despite costing a lot less, and compared to other films out at the same time, MISS CONGENIALITY cost half as much as CASTAWAY and a quarter less than WHAT WOMEN WANT and for a dollar to dollar comparison brought in as much profit, namely because her films don't lose steam after the first week. This is pretty good, especially from the standpoint of studios who would prefer to keep budgets down to save the risk of losing a big investment. Why? Because MISS C. is an enjoyable romp that will be looked at years from now as one of the many films in the Sandra Bullock library just as we look back at the host of Doris Day films. This film takes advantage of the fact that she is a gorgeous comedian (not a common thing). If you like comedies, Sandra Bullock, and WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING this is the film that you've been waiting for. Julia Roberts may get the scripts, but Bullock always gets the laughs. A film that will surely become a classic Bullock comedy.
Rating: Summary: If I could give 10000 stars I would give it Review: This movie is the best movie i've ever seen I love it sandra bullock is a great actress this movie was so funny benjemin bratt and sandra bullock are the best
Rating: Summary: Lighten up people, geez! Review: Okay, so it wasn't the best movie in the world but you gotta admit it was a LITTLE funny. Sandra Bullock was a wonderful choice for her role. And some of you people are talking about how you were 'disappointed' that Sandra, being all famous, chose a movie like this. Lighten up. Maybe her reason for doing the movie was because it was FUN. She's still just as talented as she was before. People take movies too seriously sometimes and when a movie comes around that's funny and just light-hearted, they bash it because it was 'too predictable' and it wasn't deep enough. If you're looking for a classic, this isn't your movie. But if you wanna laugh, i'd recommend giving this movie a try.
Rating: Summary: one word.........hilarious!!!! Review: its movies like this which make me cry with laughter!!!!sandra bullock is amazing as usual as gracie hart pulling off visual gags and one liners perfectly.michael cain was also really funny and with a cute benjamin bratt what else could u ask for in the way of entertainment.if u find movies like austin powers funny this is the movie for u!!!!!people who didnt laugh at this movie r too stuck up or take themselves too seriously cos this movie is funny funny funny
Rating: Summary: NOT THAT GOOD!! Review: I am dumbfounded to see sandra bullock's Performance in this movie. It was kind of funny, but I expected better from her. Sandra Bullock starred in many excellent movies like 28 days,practical magic and hope floats which made her famous. I didn't really like this movie, but it still wasn't that good. But if you liked things like drop dead gorgeous and bring it on or coyotte ugly, then you might think that this movie is kind of cool.
Rating: Summary: Reminded me Why I Loved Sandra Bullock in the First Place. Review: "Miss Congeniality" is a Hilarious Crowd Pleaser; It Restored my Faith in Sandra as a Great Comedic Actress (after "Hope Floats" and "Gun shy" I was Faithless and somewhat Depressed) and it proves Benjamin Bratt has Definite Leading Man Abilities. The Story places Sandra as an FBI agent more obsessed with Catching Bad guys then Looking Good. When the Miss America Pageant gets a Bomb Threat, she is sent in to Infiltrate the Pageant and Stop the Bombing. Obviously, the Storyline Alone is a Comedy Goldmine, and the film never misses a chance to make a joke. Michael Caine plays Sandra's Pageant Trainer. It's his job to get her ready, it's also his job to steal the film and hog all the best lines, which he does Brilliantly. Overall, It may not be the Funniest Film ever made, but I had an Ear-to-Ear smile for the Entire Running Time.
Rating: Summary: Missable and unoriginal. Review: Miss Congeniality Score: 45/100 Sandra Bullock's career was starting to pick up with 28 Days, but now, unfortunately, her high status has dropped with Miss Congeniality, a not terrible, but definitely bad beauty pageant comedy that never hits the mark properly. Bullock was starting to be a good actress in good films, but now she has turned to being a good actress in some good films. She really needs to pick it up to a great actress in brilliant movies, or her career will turn to cow poo. When a serial killer indicates that his next target is the Miss United States beauty pageant, the FBI decides that they must get an undercover agent as a participant in the contest. A search uncovers no suitable candidate other than a bumbling female agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock). Reluctantly her captain McDonald (Ernie Hudson) agrees to let her join the team working the case. The team is led by a womanising agent Eric Matthews (Benjamin Bratt) who has an apparent reluctant attraction to Gracie. She enters as Miss New Jersey replacing a contestant who was discovered to have acted in a porno film. The pageant managers Kathy Morningside and Stan Fields (Candice Bergen, William Shatner) are immediately aghast about the agent appearing in the pageant, but arrange a top handler Victor Melling (Michael Caine) to come give her a quick makeover with the expected outstanding results. Unfortunately she still is bumbling. When the killer is suddenly caught, everything seems to be over, except the female agent tries to convince her boss that something is still not right. She has discovered that the pageant managers are being dismissed after 21 years for younger people and Kathy may not be as solid as she seems on the surface. Bullock is extremely watchable as a detective who makes fun of beauty pageants, but when she starts taking them seriously, her performance drops to a much less engaging standard. Michael Caine sleep-walk's through the entire movie, his performance is nothing to shout about, and the script, although sometimes mysterious, leads itself to an unrealistic and dumb finale. There are a couple of high-points, like when Gracie answers the question "What is most important for the world?" she and the writer come up with a terrific answer. But, Miss Congeniality still keeps tripping (just like Bullock's character) and missing its target. We don't care who wins the pageant, we don't care who falls in love and mainly, and we don't care about the conclusion of the problem. Sorry, guys and girls. Some audiences will find Miss Congeniality enjoyable, but mainly, it is a missable and disappointing comedy, which is, best when finally the credits role - we can go home.
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